This book is an academic publication about the global development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and major MOOC platforms worldwide in the past decade, as well as the outlook of MOOCs in the future, with an emphasis on Greater China. The book also discusses the upsurge of the demand for online learning and MOOCs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book is divided into three main parts - Part I: Overview of MOOCs introduces the origin and history of MOOCs and the development of MOOC platforms in Greater China and the global context; Part II: Key Issues discuss the MOOC policies, innovative pedagogy, technology, and ecosystems worldwide; and Part III: Beyond MOOCs probes into the roles and benefits of MOOCs in times of crises, as well as the outlook of MOOCs in the future. In terms of topic diversity, the book contains a comprehensive investigation of the past and latest MOOC developments, extracting and elaborating on relevant information regarding platforms, policies, pedagogy, technology, and ecosystems. Subsequently, in-depth analyses of MOOC data are utilized to deduce the current trends related to the MOOC movement and to extrapolate the likeliest direction of development for MOOCs in the years to come. The book can inform policymakers, education institutions, course instructors, platform developers, investors, researchers, and individual learners of MOOCs about critical information on the present and future of MOOC development, assisting them in making crucial decisions on what initiatives can optimize their advantages in the sector.

Higher Education is a global industry, driving a new technological, industrial revolution. However, it is important to remember education is about teachers helping students learn. This work is a collection of short essays exploring how to use digital technology to provide a form of teaching which will meet social and economic goals, and make use of technology, while still having a place for the academic as a teacher. Drawing on work undertaken for a Masters of Education in Distance Education, this book charts one future for Higher Education, including instructional design, planning and management, catering for international students, using Open Education Resources and Mobile Learning. E-learning designer and computer professional, Tom Worthington MEd FACS CP, uses as a case study his award-winning course in ICT Sustainability and the design of a new innovation and entrepreneurship course. -- author's website.

With the success of open access publishing, Massive open online courses (MOOCs) and open education practices, the open approach to education has moved from the periphery to the mainstream. This marks a moment of victory for the open education movement, but at the same time the real battle for the direction of openness begins. As with the green movement, openness now has a market value and is subject to new tensions, such as venture capitalists funding MOOC companies. This is a crucial time for determining the future direction of open education. In this volume, Martin Weller examines four key areas that have been central to the developments within open education: open access, MOOCs, open education resources and open scholarship. Exploring the tensions within these key arenas, he argues that ownership over the future direction of openness is significant to all of those with an interest in education.

The collection of essays reviews, explores and reports on the state of the digitalized world and a number of communication issues. It is a readable, non-technical publication which offers a comprehensive presentation of communication issues, trends, data, and likely future developments in the digitalized world.

This book discusses the overall development and use of smart courts from the perspective of system-of-systems engineering (SoSE) and its methodology, analyzes the relationships between the components, structures, environments, and functions of various systems, and illustrates the basic approaches to system design, specification, integration, operation and management. As the general introductory book of the China Smart Court Development Series, this book provides an overview of the development of Chinese people's courts in the application of information technology over the past two decades and outlines the key areas of exploration in the Smart Court SoSe project centered on the development practices during the 13th Five-Year Plan period. It also forecasts the future development and evolution of the smart court information system. The key topics introduced in the book, including the overall design of complex information systems, integrated interconnection networks-based system integration, judicial big data quality control and analytics services, various types of AI-enabled judicial services, quality and efficiency-oriented operation and maintenance services for large-scale information systems, etc., all came from the basic research of information science and theories, as well as the systems engineering practices of the Smart Court SoSe project. They not only reflect the latest findings on systems engineering and architecture methods in China and overseas, but also reveal many innovative approaches to SoSE methods and paradigms, which can be used for the design and continued development of smart courts at a new and higher starting point. It is believed that they can also serve as good examples and reference points for the development in IT application and complex information systems engineering in other sectors.

This book closely examines how universities and higher educational institutions have come to occupy a very significant position in the Chinese national Iinnovation system (NIS) in the last two decades. It looks at the growth, structure and current status of higher education in China and discusses how these world-class institutions are intimately intertwined with the rise of China in the global knowledge economy. It studies themes such as the impact of Chinese universities on industry, business enterprises and national development, relevance of higher education to policies related to industry development, reform measures to improve research intensity and quality of teaching, and internationalization and globalization of higher education. Based on sound empirical research, it also explores concepts like academic entrepreneurship, start-ups and entrepreneurial ecosystems. A key text on the Chinese education sector, the book will be of interest to scholars and researchers of higher education, Chinese studies, science, technology and innovation studies, business economics and management, academic entrepreneurship and public policy.

Focusing on the future development of basic education in China, and on overcoming related issues, this book identifies key breakthroughs, priorities and important fields of basic education reform. In addition, it introduces the “Three Power Model” – decision-making, principals’ leadership, and learning power – to help address the challenges of future development. Unlike much of the research on basic education reform, the book draws on a forward-thinking, realistic and comprehensive project: bringing together 15 universities and research institutes, 16 provincial administration departments, and 100 selected primary and secondary schools, it has also been strongly endorsed by the nation’s leaders. After five years of practice and innovation, it has made significant breakthroughs in many provinces. Sharing unique insights into the project and its outcomes, the book offers an invaluable asset for education researchers, primary and secondary school teachers, and anyone interested in the evolution of basic education in China.